2 / 2 The charm of winter just a moment of twilight between long stretches of darkness. The saving grace in these conditions is the snow cover, which insulates the land against the frost. Surprising as it may seem, the Saimaa seal breeds in February, the coldest time of the year. The female digs into the snowdrifts on the shore with her powerful claws and makes a snow cave where her pup spends its first few weeks in warmth as the frost crackles outside. Old Saimaa tugboats find a new life as leisure craft.